Bakula, my owner, had received, by permission of the white man, an invitation from one of the elder school lads to sleep in the mission dormitory. Consequently, after the King’s departure, he made his way to the boys’ house and was vociferously greeted by his new friends, some of whom were with the white man when he was driven from Satu’s town. The house he entered was about twenty feet long by fifteen feet wide. It possessed several luxuries, such as a door and windows that moved on hinges, an oil lantern hanging from the roof, and beds raised about two feet above the ground.
Bakula had been greatly impressed by his visit to the King, of whom he had heard much, but had never seen until that day. After the first greetings were over he began to ply his new friends with many questions about the King, and as a son and a nephew of the King were among the school-lads, he had his curiosity more than satisfied by what he was able to learn from them. He was told that many chiefs sent their sons to be brought up at the court of the King, and thus they were able to learn the ceremonies of the court etiquette in receiving visitors, and how to settle palavers. These lads waited on the King, were his errand boys on small occasions, and finished the food he left after they had served him at table.
Attached to the King’s court were several functionaries, as follows: Kapitau was a noble whose function it was to confer titles on others as the representative of the King, who, being too old and obese to travel with comfort the long, hilly roads, sent this officer in his stead, as the chiefs could only be ennobled in their own towns.
Nelumbu was the title of another court officer, who was supposed never to leave the King’s lumbu, or enclosure. He was a kind of master of ceremonies, or a chamberlain, and instructed the ignorant how to approach the King. After him came Nempangu, who carried the staff of the King (from mpangu, staff). This officer went on embassies for his master to chiefs and towns, taking the King’s staff with him as a token of his authority, and a proof that he had come from the King. Then there was Nembila (from mbila, summons, call), who was the King’s messenger, and was sent to summon chiefs and others to the King’s presence and to inform the people of his majesty’s wishes and commands. Nejinguzioka (or “one who walks about”) was an officer who always stayed by the King, to wait on him and carry out those important orders that could not be entrusted to the lads or pages who served the King. Neloto (from loto, spoon) was lowest in rank about the court, and was simply the spoon-bearer--probably a taster of the food before it was given to his master.
Attached to the court, but outside of it, was a head man, whose special duty it was to assess the tax on all trading caravans travelling through the town or passing through the near district. He was also to some extent responsible for the safe-conduct of caravans through that part of the country of which the King was overlord. Of course the larger portion of the amounts in kind received found their way to the King, otherwise his life would have been of little worth. And, lastly, there was Nemfilantu (from fila ntu, to place the head), the noble best liked by the King, the most trusted of his councillors, the one in whose “lap he could rest his head.”
During his stay in the King’s town Bakula had all these high personages shown to him. It was necessary to have them pointed out, as on ordinary occasions they were dressed worse[[44]] than slaves and dependants, so as to avoid arousing envy, jealousy, and accusations of witchcraft.
Chapter XIV
Bakula stays with the White Man
The working of a mission station--Buying food--The school--Bakula is afraid to enter the school--Repairing the station--Boys work in the gardens--A quarrel, and how it was settled--An evening’s chat with the white man--Rubbing evil spirits out of a man--Sunday service--Congregation--Sermon--Visit to a near town--Religious talk with the King--Boys pray for their white teacher--Witch-doctor’s trick exposed.
Next morning, at sunrise, Bakula was aroused by the sonorous tones of a large bell, and running out of the house he found the white man pacing slowly up and down the yard of the mission station, waiting for the workmen to arrive. Bakula greeted his friend with a smile, and an inquiry as to whether he had “slept well,”[[45]] and then stood on one side to observe all that happened. Soon the workmen came, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, and the white man, checking them by his note-book, sent some to cut and carry in bundles of thatching-grass, others for fence sticks, and others for posts; three were sent for papyrus[[46]] reeds from which to make native string for repairing the fences running round the mission ground, and some were set to work on the station.
Having started the men at their work, the white man sat down to his breakfast. It was not like the dinner to which the King had been invited, for it consisted of porridge, coffee, roasted plantain[[47]] and eggs. During this time women and men were gathering with various articles for sale, and as soon as the white man had finished his breakfast he went out to barter for the different articles he needed. Women with large baskets of mfumfu, or cassava flour, and peanuts went with their goods to the door of a store directly the price was agreed upon. Eggs were tested, and a string of a hundred blue pipe beads (worth a farthing) was paid for each, fowls were bought at from ten to twenty strings of beads each, according to size. Yams, sweet potatoes, greens, and small native tomatoes were also purchased with either the ordinary blue beads, which were the currency, or with red, olive, opal or any other coloured beads that happened to be in stock and took the fancy of the seller. Men with bamboos, mats, and planks bartered them for different kinds of trade cloth; and those with goats sold them for cloth, blankets, knives, cast-off soldiers’ coats, or large, bright-coloured handkerchiefs. Then the white man hurried over to the store, measured out the cassava flour and peanuts, and paid the women according to quantity.